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4
tration Act, and it included all persons over 15 years of age. In
1917, the Registrar General based his estimate of the civil population
upon the number of sugar cards issued in that year, and
probably his estimate was approximately correct.
The Registrar General based his estimate of the civil population
in 1918 upon the returns sent to the Ministry of Food in
July of that year. The figures on the returns in 1918 were incomplete
as the returns were sent in soon after the issue of the
ration books and did not include the ration books issued to those
who had omitted in the first instance to fill in their addresses, &c.
Evidently last year the Registrar General based his estimates
of the civil population on the number of ration books issued
in 1919. The number of ration books issued up to November
29th, 1919, was 62,237, and the Registrar General's estimate of
the civil population on June 30th, 1919, is 61,732. The Registrar
General's estimate of the population for birth-rate purposes
is 64,236.
I have accepted both these estimates for the purposes of
this report, as they can be corrected, if necessary, after the Census
enumeration.
It is almost certain, though, that these figures are an underestimate
of the actual population of the district.
For another purpose, a comparison was made of the number
of ration books issued in 1918 and 1919; and when the numbers
issued to the different addresses were compared, it was found
that a number of the families had not applied for ration books
in the autumn of 1919, and it is reasonably certain that a considerable
number of persons are now supplied with food, but have
not taken the trouble to apply for ration books.
Very few houses were vacant in 1918 or 1919, and where a
marked decrease had occurred in the number of ration books
which had been issued to an address, it was found that one of the
families had omitted to apply for the ration books.
General character of the district, social conditions including occupations,
&c.
The district is divided into four wards—-North East, North
West, South East and South West.